Scientist in Preclinical Cancer Models
Headline
Help advance the next generation of cancer models for radiopharmaceutical research
Highlights
- Develop and analyze in vivo cancer models
- Perform histological and radiobiological tissue analyses
- Collaborate across teams
Job description
The Radiobiology Unit at the Nuclear Medical Applications Institute, SCK CEN offers a dynamic and collaborative setting at the forefront of cancer therapy research.
Our team of scientists, technicians and PhD students investigates how ionizing radiation from therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals interacts with cancer, aiming to optimize the efficacy and safety of targeted radionuclide therapies.
Research spans preclinical cancer models, therapeutic efficacy, and radiobiological assessments.
The unit collaborates closely with other SCK CEN teams specializing in radiochemistry, radiopharmacy, dosimetry, and ligand development, while partnerships with academia and industry further accelerate the multidisciplinary translation of our research outcomes.
Responsibilities:
- Develop, maintain, and characterize in vivo cancer models (xenograft, orthotopic, syngeneic, metastatic) to support radiopharmaceutical evaluation
- Investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms of targeted radionuclide therapies, including tumor microenvironment modulation and radiobiological responses
- Conduct histology and tissue-level analyses, including immunohistochemistry, autoradiography, and digital pathology, to assess radiopharmaceutical distribution and biological effects
- Contribute to radiopharmaceutical assays to elucidate mechanisms of action and therapeutic effects
- Operate and apply specialized research platforms (microscopy, pathology systems, autoradiography) for tissue characterization
- Acquire, analyze, and report experimental data in line with project milestones; troubleshoot and refine methodologies when required
- Contribute to funding applications, project budget planning, ethical dossiers, peer-reviewed publications, and scientific presentations
- Support daily laboratory operations, including histology workflows, tissue preparation, and assay optimization
- Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to strengthen preclinical radiopharmaceutical research
- Ensure strict compliance with animal welfare legislation, biosafety protocols, radiation protection rules, and ethical requirements
Job requirements
- PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related fields, with a strong track record in radiobiology
- Demonstrated expertise in developing and characterizing cancer mouse models for radiobiological studies
- Proficiency in histology, tissue characterization, and molecular pathology techniques
- Experience with mechanistic studies of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals is an asset
- FELASA certification (or equivalent) with extensive in vivo experimentation experience
- Solid scientific record in radiobiology and preclinical cancer research, demonstrated by publications or translational outputs
- Ability to work independently and within multidisciplinary teams across academia and industry
- Strong awareness of biosafety, ethical standards, radiation protection, and intellectual property in research
- Strong analytical skills with high attention to detail
- Proactive, independent, and reliable, while contributing to team objectives
- Strong communication, reporting, and scientific writing skills
- Commitment to the highest standards of quality, safety, and ethics